Skelos: ‘This Is Going To Be A Good Marriage’

In his first interview since the new majority coalition plan was announced, Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos told Susan Arbetter on The Capitol Press Room that differences between what the independent Democratic bloc wants and the GOP will be ironed out.

“This is going to be a good marriage, a marriage of trust,” said Skelos, who will hold the title of “conference chairman” and rotate the Senate presidency with Independent Democratic Conference leader Sen. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx.

Skelos reiterated his confidence throughout the interview that the IDC and Senate Republicans would be able to resolve differences on big picture items ranging from legislative goals to nitty-gritty details such as picking a replacement for the Joint Commission on Public Ethics, a pick that is technically up to the Senate majority leader, a post that no one will hold come January.

On the JCOPE pick, for instance, Skelos would only say that the appointment would be resolved between himself and Klein, but there was no clear road map for how that decision would be made.

“We’re elected to solve those conflicts and come up with solutions,” Skelos said. “I really do believe that, Senator Klein and I absolutely committed to making this work.”

As for the appointment of a Senate secretary, Skelos would only praise the current officeholder Frank Patience.

Skelos and his GOP conference have opposed several of legislative goals that Klein, the IDC and Gov. Andrew Cuomo for that matter say they want to get done in 2013: a minimum wage increase and marijuana reform among them.

“We’ve had our differences with the governor, but we’ve worked our way through that,” Skelos said.

Skelos and Senate Republicans, meanwhile, are already facing the ire of Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long for forming the alliance with the IDC.

The Nassau County Republican told Arbetter, however, that the relationship with Klein and the IDC has been forged over the last two years when the third conference was first formed.

“Our relationship with the IDC began two years ago,” he said. “We’re no strangers to working together. We’ve socialized together.”